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Monday, April 23, 2012

Basil Chicken

I don't often come across a basil chicken dish in a Chinese restaurant. I love the taste of basil in pesto pastas and enjoy its flavors mixed with curry and stir fry dishes common in Thai cuisine. So, when I saw a basil chicken item on a traditional Chinese restaurant's menu, I had to try it. I loved it. It was a simple stir fry dish that really placed the flavor of basil in the spotlight. As a basil lover, I just had to recreate this dish at home. Here's what I came up with.

Step 1 Browning the Chicken: Heat vegetable oil to medium high in a Wok or Large Skillet. Add the chicken cubes and mushrooms and stir fry until meat is browned on all sides and mushrooms are soft (about 5-7 minutes).

Step 2 Adding Sauce & Spice: Add in the Hoisin Sauce, Chopped Scallions and Sliced Jalepeno Peppers. Stir fry all the ingredients together until the meat is well coated with the sauce (about 5 minutes).,

Step 3 Adding Basil: Basil wilts quickly under heat and its flavor works best with minimum amount of cooking. Add the basil last and quickly stir fry it into the ingredients for about 2-3 minutes and you are done. Serve hot with steamed rice.